Vehicular repeater systems are used to extend the range of portable radio units, thus eliminating a potential gap in communications when the user of a vehicular (i.e., mobile) radio is away from the mobile radio unit. A problem arises when a portable radio is within range of more than one mobile repeater because when the portable transmits the mobile repeaters may interfere with each other in repeating the portable's transmission. The Motorola Vehicular Repeater System (VRS) mobile or vehicular repeater solved this problem by operating with a Mobile Detector option, implemented in the mobile radio, employing priority and non-priority repeaters. Each of these repeaters used a delay state counter that was set for a specific delay before repeating commenced. The priority repeater would have the delay state counter set to "delay state zero" so that, the repeater would repeat all signals on the proper carrier frequency. The non-priority repeater would have the delay state counter set to a delay state other than "delay state zero" so that the unit would remain inactive and not repeat until the conditions are present for the unit's delay state counter to decrement down to delay state zero. That insured that each portable transmission was repeated only by the priority repeater in the system, thereby preventing simulcast distortion. The Mobile Detector option also insured that a non-priority repeater would assume the priority state if necessary and repeat the portable transmission if the priority repeater is disabled or leaves the area. However, a problem still exists on how to determine the conditions necessary for decrementing the delay state counter. One approach to this problem is to use the squelch detect circuitry in the mobile radio. However, if squelch detect is used as the deciding factor, the sensitivity of the mobile receiver can cause a problem. A mobile transmitting on the same frequency outside the operating range of the VRS can prevent the non-priority repeater from decrementing its delay state counter, which could result in the portable transmissions not being repeated if the repeater is disabled or leaves the area.